Practical Geriatrics ›› 2025, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (6): 577-581.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1003-9198.2025.06.009

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Effect of breathing exercise rehabilitation program combined with cognitive training on respiratory function and cognitive function in elderly patients with COPD

LIU Wenxiu, ZHENG Meijie, LI Wei, CHEN Ziye, MENG Qiong, LI Xian   

  1. Department of Nursing(LIU Wenxiu); Department of Gastroenterology(ZHENG Meijie);Department of Geriatric Cardiovascular Medicine(LI Wei);Respiratory Endoscopy Room (CHEN Ziye); Department of Vascular Surgery(MENG Qiong);Medical Development Division(LI Xian),Hebei General Hospital,Shijiazhuang 050061,China
  • Received:2024-10-15 Online:2025-06-20 Published:2025-07-07
  • Contact: LI Xian,Email:Lixian1966@126.com

Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of breathing exercise training combined with cognitive training on the respiratory function and cognitive function in the elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) combined with cognitive disorder. Methods A total of 96 elderly COPD patients presenting with cognitive impairment who were treated at Hebei General Hospital from September 2020 to September 2021 were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into three groups using the random number table method, including the control group (receiving conventional rehabilitation training, n=32), the breathing exercise group (receiving breathing exercise training and conventional rehabilitation training, n=32), and the combination group (receiving rehabilitation training combined with breathing exercise and cognitive training, n=32). The scores of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and modified Medical Research Council (mMRC), the levels of forced expiratory volume in the first second(FEV1), forced vital capacity(FVC) and 6-min walk distance(6MWD) before and after intervention were compared among the three groups. Results After 4 weeks of intervention, the MoCA score in the breathing exercise group and the combination group was higher than that before intervention and that in the control group (P<0.05), especially in the combination group (P<0.05). The mMRC score in the combined group was significantly decreased after the intervention (P<0.05), and was lower than that in the conventional group (P<0.05), especially in the combination group, followed by the breathing exercise group and the control group (P<0.05). Conclusions Breathing exercise training combined with cognitive training can improve respiratory function, enhance exercise endurance and cognitive function in the elderly COPD patients with cognitive impairment safely and reliably.

Key words: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory exercise rehabilitation exercise, cognitive training, aged

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